Thank You For Helping To Make So Many People Happy

89'500 gift boxes were collected for the ‘Gift Box Appeal 2013. Of those we donated 1772 boxes, a huge thank you to all those who helped this wonderful cause. The Gift Boxes were transported in 27 articulated trucks from Switzerland to the following countries: Ukraine, Moldavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Byelorussia.

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89’500 children, poor families, orphans, handicapped, the sick, single mothers and pensioners struggling to live on their meagre pension, were surprised to receive a Gift Box from Switzerland. Still talking about the joy they get from these gifts, the pleasure washing their hair with shampoo or the delight of biscuits and chocolate. School children happily using their new pens, pencil and crayons, enjoying their toys, all proud to think someone prepared a precious gift for them. Making such a difference to their everyday lives, an encouragement for the future.

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Everyone who contributed to our collection or gave boxes to the 420 collection points could hardly imagine the joy these presents would give. Thanks to your Gift Boxes and donations, Christmas was made happier for oh so many people living in misery in Eastern Europe.

One grateful family welcomes presents from Switzerland

Natalya and her two daughters, Vera and Lena wait impatiently for the Christmas holidays because their father Grigorij will be coming home. In their village, Petrovka, there is hardly any work so like thousands of other Moldavians, Grigorji to provide food for his family works in the building industry in Russia. Tanya (15) and Wadim (9) live in an orphanage and for many years have spent their holidays, more than 4 months a year, with Natalya and her family. Natalya says “We want to give both of them a loving family environment, something they have never had. From the beginning they called me ‘Mama’. Furthermore, we believe it is our obligation to look after little orphans, we treat them as our own children, we praise them and we educate them”. The Gift Boxes from Switzerland bring the children much joy and happiness. Natalya and Grigorij would never be able to offer such wonderful presents to their own children or Tanya and Wadim. They too were surprised and thankful to receive a box of precious foods and toiletries. It’s wonderful that we can help this Moldavian family in their commitment to abandoned children.

Christmas for underprivileged children

Again we visited Tintareni, a village in central Moldavia, where 55 children go to a day care centre after school. Given a substantial meal, help with their homework and can take part in language and IT lessons, the possibility to play together and realise how precious they are. Today they are particularly excited as it is Christmas Day. They recite poems; sing and excitedly receive a Gift Box from Switzerland! Happy and proud they look forward to taking their present’s home and can hardly believe that all the school supplies, shampoo, treats, chocolates and toys belong to them! At home everything isn’t rosy, their parents perhaps alcoholic, handicapped or destitute. Many children don’t know their father and others live with grand-parents or alone because their parents work abroad in order to make a living. More than one quarter of Moldavians work abroad leaving over 250’000 children behind left to their own devices. About 13 years ago the Tintareni Christian community became aware of the existence of this misery. Since then it has given a loving daily structure and support to the 55 most helpless children. Delivering the Gift Boxes makes both the workers in the community and the children extremely happy.